Description
Get the effect of encaustic with acrylic!
In Cathy Nichols’ Acrylic Mark Making for Encaustic Effects video, you’ll discover how to use acrylics to mimic the fascinating look of beeswax–without an encaustic studio! Cathy shares how to create a whimsical butterfly painting from start to finish, from underpainting to finishing touches. Along the way, you’ll learn how to form a strong, interesting composition, as well as how to add focus and balance to your work with deliberate color choices. Next, you’ll add the most important layer: thick and dimensional heavy gel medium, the perfect alternative to encaustic! You’ll draw, carve, and play to create a unique and deeply textured surface all your own. Finally, Cathy shares her color techniques for adding a moody and dramatic finishing touch!
In this video you will:
- Use collaged butterflies and white gesso to create a strong underpainting
- Carve tiny details with a rubber-tipped brush
- Preserve your personal brushstrokes in your work
- Make your marks pop and give your painting a vignette effect with a dark layer of oil paint
Watch a preview of this video here:
About the Artist
Cathy Nichols’ “stories in paint” combine her dual background in literature and art, expressing mystery, emotion and storytelling in paint. Cathy lives in Asheville, NC, but her painted narratives have touched audiences worldwide. She is the author of the North Light book Storytelling Art Studio: Visual Expressions of Character, Mood and Theme Using Mixed Media. Visit cathynichols.com to see more artwork and to join Cathy’s community of storytellers.
MATERIALS
-
Surface
- 8″ x 8″ cradled wood panel
-
Media
- Acrylic paints (Fluorescent Pink, Quinacridone Magenta, Cadmium Orange, Hansa Yellow, Anthraquinone Blue, Phthalo Blue (Green Shade), Light Blue Permanent (from Liquitex Soft Bodied line), Teal, Titanium White, Paynes Gray)
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Other Tools and Materials
- Several butterfly collage sheets (featuring 3 different sizes of butterflies)
- Acrylic heavy gel medium
- Brayer
- Wax paper
- White gesso
- Awl
- 1 small foam brush
- 1 natural bristle brush about 1-2 inches in diameter
- 1/4″ flat brush or #2 round
- Spray bottle of water
- Rubber-tipped tool
- Paper towels
- 1″ flat wash brush
- Water container
Order your copy of Acrylic Mark Making for Encaustic Effects today!
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